Standing on the Brink
by fbeauchamphartz
Summary: Kurt and Sebastian go to their special spot on the beach one last time to watch a once-in-a-lifetime event. Written for the Kurtoberfest prompt 'Apocalypse'. Kurt H. Sebastian S.


**A/N:** _Written for the Kurtoberfest prompt 'Apocalypse' and inspired by a scene from the movie "Deep Impact" (though I would ask that if you haven't watched that movie that you read this first so nothing is given away). Warning for angst, anxiety, emotional hurt/comfort._

"Come on, Kurt," Sebastian whines. "You're going to make us late."

Kurt ignores him, obsessively double-checking the door, pulling on the knob to make sure it's locked up tight. Kurt takes a step back towards the stairs, then changes his mind and reaches for the knob again. It reminds him of the first night they spent at the beach house. They had just closed escrow, and Kurt couldn't believe it was really theirs. They didn't have a lick of furniture in the place, the electricity needed to be switched on, and they had to use water out of gallon bottles they bought from a market a mile down the road, but Kurt insisted they spend the night, and Sebastian caved.

It helped that there was a Hilton nearby in case they absolutely couldn't hack it.

Kurt had always wanted a beach house. It was one of his lifelong dreams. He'd even put it on his bucket list. It wasn't one of the biggest or more stylish houses on this stretch of the Atlantic Coast, but that didn't matter. It was the first thing they bought together – not something Sebastian simply bought for him.

If Kurt stands quietly, he can pretend he's back there, with his hand on the doorknob, waiting for that first twist, ready for an adventure to begin.

Not waiting to see one end.

"I don't know why you're bothering with the locks, babe," Sebastian says, changing the scenery with those few words. "We're not coming back."

Kurt drops his head, his hand holding firm to the doorknob, reluctant to let go.

"But…but what if they're wrong?" Kurt reasons, his eyes shut, blocking out the light growing at his back.

Sebastian glances up at the comet streaking across the sky – a ball of blinding white lighting up the night. Sebastian smirks, amused at how hard Kurt is trying to ignore the inevitable. But can Sebastian really blame him?

"Pretty sure they're not wrong, babe."

Kurt nods, eyes still squeezed shut. Sebastian climbs back up the steps to the porch. He puts a hand on Kurt's shoulder and massages gently. Kurt finally lets go of the doorknob to take it.

"I wanted to hide under the covers," Kurt says, wiping a tear from his cheek. "I wanted to make love until we fell asleep in each other's arms. Isn't that how you'd rather tonight be?"

"Normally, yeah. But this is the end of the world, babe," Sebastian says, tugging Kurt's hand, leading him off the porch and away from their sanctuary. "Don't you want a front row seat for the show?"

"Not particularly, no," Kurt says, clutching hard to his bitterness so he doesn't break down.

"The weather guy on channel three says it's going to be _spectacular_ ," Sebastian says with morbid glee. "The sky is clear. There's not going to be a single cloud to obscure…"

"Jesus Christ! This isn't a fucking meteor shower, Sebastian!" Kurt snaps, pulling his hand out of Sebastian's grasp and wrapping his arms around himself. He needs this. He needs to be held, and if Sebastian isn't going to do it, then Kurt is going to have to. But no matter how tight he holds himself, he can't stop shaking.

"I know," Sebastian says quietly, stopping in the path to take Kurt in his arms. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to…this is how I deal with the heavy stuff, babe."

"I know," Kurt says, leaning his forehead against Sebastian's shoulder. "I just…it makes me think about all the stuff we didn't do yet."

"Like what?" Sebastian asks. He gives Kurt a second, but they're running out of time. There's some place they both decided to be when that comet hits – the spot of their first kiss. And if they don't keep walking now, they'll never make it. This isn't on Kurt's bucket list – watch the world end from their special spot on the beach – but it's the last thing they're ever going to get to cross off. They had better make it.

"Like what?" Sebastian asks again when Kurt doesn't answer, pulling at his hand to get him walking down the beach.

Kurt starts moving again, a sob lodging in his throat.

"L-like make a Baked Alaska," Kurt says.

Sebastian squeezes Kurt's hand. It's such a simple thing, but it's so like Kurt.

"I never took that private spaceflight I was planning," Sebastian adds.

"You didn't help me join the mile high club," Kurt says with a chuckle, looking off at the water in the direction they're headed.

"We should have made love on the Cliffs of Dover," Sebastian says with a sigh.

Kurt turns from the water, reflecting the comet like a second sunrise, and looks at Sebastian.

"But…we did that," Kurt reminds him, pulling closer as the wind picks up unexpectedly, the light in the sky moving steadily lower.

"I know," Sebastian says, wrapping an arm around Kurt's shoulder, rubbing his arm to chase the chill from his body. "I wanted to do that again. It was _amazing_."

Kurt laughs and Sebastian joins in, casually recounting the memory of that vacation to England, and how they froze their asses off in an attempt at being wild and spontaneous (ending with Sebastian getting bitten on the ass by a sheep in the process), but as soon as they reach the crest of the sand dunes and see the beach of sugar sand glowing with an unearthly light, they fall into a solemn silence. They make their way down the beach with the sound of fire in their ears, a distant snapping and popping, like a fireplace burning in another room.

Like the fireplace back in the living room of their beach house, where they so often sat and slept and made love.

The comet has nearly reached the water when they come to a stop, far enough from the coastline that the encroaching tide retreats long before it ever reaches their feet.

Kurt turns to face Sebastian, half his face in shadow, the other half lit so brightly he looks ten years younger – the same age they were on the day they first met.

"If you had it all to do again," Kurt says, "would you…"

Sebastian nods before Kurt has the chance to finish.

"I'd do it the same way," he says. "And you?"

Kurt gazes at Sebastian thoughtfully, then bursts out in nervous laughter.

"Oh, God no!" - Kurt laughs harder when Sebastian's sentimental smile falls - "I mean, I would have told you off way more. I would have sprayed you with different cologne every time I saw you to cover up that foul stink you were addicted to. I would have gotten you drunk and done something about your awful hair."

"Nice, Kurt," Sebastian says, shaking his head. "Real…"

Kurt's lips kissing his shut Sebastian up. Kurt aims for fun, light, carefree with this kiss. He doesn't want this kiss to be significant in any way. He wants it to feel like any other kiss, but it can't be helped. There are forces beyond their control moving things along quicker with every passing second. Kurt might want this to feel like any other kiss, but what it really feels like is their last.

"I would have told you I loved you" - Kurt puts a hand to Sebastian's cheek, brushing a thumb over his cheekbone - "much, _much_ sooner."

"Yeah," Sebastian agrees, leaning in to Kurt's touch. "I would have done that, too."

The comet streaking across the sky finally hits the water, much further out then it appears from the beach. A ripple of sonic energy spreads down the horizon, pushing Kurt and Sebastian back a few steps, almost knocking them to the sand, followed by a boom so loud it makes Kurt's ears ring. A flash of white floods the sky, the ground beneath their feet quakes, and somewhere on the other side of the world, a wall of water rises.

"Sebastian," Kurt yells over the ringing in his ears, his voice shaking, "this isn't right! Your family…you had a bunker. You had…you had a seat on the plane to the fallout shelter at Greenbrier! With the President, for fuck's sake!"

"Kurt," Sebastian says, shaking his head _no_ , "they wouldn't take you. We tried…"

"You" – Kurt's eyes dart to the water rising higher and higher as it rushes to the shore – "you shouldn't be here!"

Sebastian wraps his arm around Kurt's waist. He puts a finger beneath Kurt's chin, bringing his attention back from the vision of death racing towards them, and up to his eyes.

"Kurt…" Sebastian pauses a second, wanting to remember the vision of Kurt – his fiery tempered, excessively talented, singularly gorgeous fiancé - at this moment, bathed in pure white light, for as long as it lasts, "I'm right where I want to be."

Kurt shakes his head weakly. "Sebastian, I'm…"

Sebastian's arm tightens around Kurt's waist. Before Kurt can finish his apology, their lips touch.

And the wave hits.


End file.
